Sentinel

chamber opera

”Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition, and myth frame our response.”
— Arthur Schlessinger

SENTINEL is a new chamber opera in development which tells the story of an agoraphobic woman who constructs a virtual reality in an attempt to cope with life after traumatic loss. Through the use of a psychedelic she is able to reconstruct her memory and find healing. Over the course of the opera, the Heroine traverses a kaleidoscopic journey through the depths of human connection while also facing the brittle cold of violent loss and loneliness. The opera navigates a manufactured digital world, the natural world, and the psychedelic realm voiced by triangulated characters. An accompanying chamber ensemble comprised of swirling saxophones, strings, and percussion captures these sonic landscapes of contrast and contradiction to reside in a multitude of colors, volumes, inflections, and textures which wind themselves around the vocalists—supporting them, wrestling them, and ultimately guiding them to heal. A workshop is scheduled for June 2025 in Los Angeles.

Created by Danielle Birrittella
Music by Annika Socolofsky
Libretto by Claressinka Anderson


Commissioning Partners PEAK PERFORMANCES & SYNCHROMY